Dumb question: starting bike without the gas tank on it.

[Vacantstance]

Again, I’m brand new to motorcycles.

I’m finally at the place where I want to start the bike but I’m not able to. I have spark, decent compression and I’m feeding fuel directly through the fuel inlet on the left carb. As I pour fuel into a container that has a hose with the other end connected to the inlet, the fuel seems to keep going and when I hit the start button the bike doesn’t start. Finally, some fuel came dripping out of the bottom of the bike. It won’t start at all with the choke open. When I close the choke the bike backfires from the carb. Am I flooding the carb bowls at the fuel inlet? I’ve seen others do this and the gas doesn’t drain into the carb as deliberate as mine does. Something’s wrong.

 

[flea]

1/ pull your dip stick out and check the level of fluid , plus smell it for the smell of petrol , if needle and seat is stuck fuel maybe going into your cyds and passed the rings into the sump .. if so you can be doing a lot of damage to the motor 2/ you say feeding lft carb .. needs to go to both carbs 3 / after trying to start check to see if the s/plugs are wet from fuel

 

[Buddha]

Just a question.... when you say you're at the point where you can start the bike, did you rebuild the carbs? I'm not up to speed on the posts, that's why I'm asking.
Cheers

 

[Vacantstance]

Just a question.... when you say you're at the point where you can start the bike, did you rebuild the carbs? I'm not up to speed on the posts, that's why I'm asking.
Cheers

I had not rebuilt them. While I was waiting on parts to be delivered, I took the carbs off and sprayed them with carb cleaner. I didn’t take the jets out or anything.

I’m going to tear them alway down now that I have an understanding of what my issue might be.

 

[Buddha]

I believe you're going in the right direction, usually gas dripping from a carb is either a float setting, a bad float, or a poor needle and seat.